Between Day and Night

8: The Woman Hanging on Him

Natalie felt a tense chill in her chest when she realized Curtis was approaching with ill intentions.

The glass of wine in his hand swirled slowly, catching the light and reflecting the amber glow. His voice was sticky, his words dripping with something more than just business.

“The Sinclair Group just opened a new resort. The reviews are great. If we could partner with your hotel, add it to the vacation packages, make it a chain project—Natalie, you’d definitely be able to secure the position of head of admin.”

What a joke. This project was something even their VP, Richard, might not get his hands on, and yet Curtis thought she was the one to pull it off? This old dog was crazy.

Natalie smiled, but it wasn’t a warm smile. She didn’t say yes, but she didn’t outright reject him either. Instead, as Curtis continued his rambling, she said, “If I run into Mr. Sinclair again, I’ll be sure to ask. But honestly, I’m not very familiar with him.”

Curtis’s eyes flickered. “Is that so? Actually, you don’t have to wait. Mr. Sinclair is upstairs right now.”

Natalie’s smile faltered. Curtis was clearly trying to probe whether she still had any connections with Ethan.

Lucas might be able to deceive these people, but Ryan—he wasn’t so easily fooled.

Everyone knew Curtis was a lackey, sent by Ryan’s father, Billy, to the administrative department. With Rachel on maternity leave, Curtis had taken the chance to cozy up to power.

Natalie didn’t waste time beating around the bush. She grabbed the wine bottle and poured him a drink. She had been known as the cold beauty at the office, the more aloof and hard to approach she was, the more enticing. Curtis had been staring at her profile, so deeply that he almost forgot who he was supposed to be loyal to.

“I won’t lie to you, Mr. Sinclair and I don’t have a connection. I’m sure he’s just being polite for someone else’s sake.”

“Oh? And who would that be?” Curtis asked, his eyes still fixed on her.

Natalie met his gaze squarely. “Ethan.”

Curtis froze for a second.

He wasn’t surprised by Lucas’s quick flings, but he hadn’t heard any rumors about Ethan being with anyone.

But then Curtis caught up. “But, just now, Mr. Sterling didn’t even acknowledge you.”

Natalie brushed her hair behind her ear. “A couple of days ago, we had a bit of a falling out. You know how things are; I haven’t exactly had the best time at the office recently.”

Curtis took a sip of his drink, sizing her up.

If this was true, and Ryan wanted to get rid of her, then Curtis had some thinking to do.

Natalie noticed he didn’t try to touch her again, nor did he pressure her into drinking. She took the opportunity to excuse herself and head to the restroom.

At the sink, as water flowed over her fingers, Natalie caught a glimpse of Michelle in the mirror. She had taken a couple of hits tonight, but she’d definitely try to salvage her pride. Natalie had expected her to follow.

As Michelle touched up her makeup, she sneered, “You’re something, huh? First, it’s Ryan, then Lucas. You get to hop from one guy to the next while pretending to be all innocent. Must be exhausting.”

Natalie wiped her hands, then turned to face Michelle.

The woman’s red lips were still moving, “You’re such a good actress. I wonder how long you can keep this up...”

Before Michelle could finish, Natalie grabbed her by the hair, yanking her head toward the sink. “If you can’t speak properly, I’ll wash that mouth out for you.”

“Aah!”

Michelle screamed, but the music in the background swallowed it up. No one was coming to help.

“What’s the matter? I’ve slapped Ryan before, and you think I won’t do the same to you? You never heard the saying, ‘First to provoke, last to regret,’ huh?”

Michelle struggled, but Natalie held both her wrists down. Leaning close, she whispered, “You wanna know why Curtis has been so quiet tonight? I told him the only man who’s interested in me is Ethan, not Lucas.”

“I’m not someone with patience to spare. Push me again, and I will make you regret it.”

With that, she shoved Michelle against the wall and towered over her, glaring.

“Do you understand what I’m saying? Keep your distance.”

Michelle’s face was pale. Her makeup was ruined, her clothes wet, and she knew she was no match for Natalie. Grabbing her makeup bag, she fled.

Natalie watched her leave, feeling a mix of amusement and disdain. These types were everywhere—tough talkers who crumbled when confronted.

Suddenly, it hit her. She spun around quickly.

Her eyes met a pair of polished leather shoes. Looking up, she saw crisp, wrinkle-free suit pants, and she immediately recognized the long legs. The sleek fit of his dress pants was unmistakable.

When she saw the watch on his wrist, it all clicked.

Ethan was standing in front of her.

Without a glance in her direction, Ethan turned on the faucet and began washing his hands. His white shirt was rolled up at the sleeves, exposing his toned arms.

It was almost absurd to pretend they didn’t know each other at this point. Natalie moved to stand beside him.

When he turned off the tap, she quickly grabbed a tissue and handed it to him, hoping he’d heard everything she said earlier.

Ethan didn’t move.

His eyes flickered briefly, but he said nothing.

“Natalie.”

His voice was cold, but she saw the slight shift in his posture as he finally acknowledged her.

“I owe you an apology for what I said earlier.”

Without a word, Ethan turned away, his back to her as he moved toward the door.

As he walked out, the familiar scent of his cologne—so cold and distant—lingered behind him.

Natalie froze for a moment, her breath catching. She stood there, irritated with herself, chewing on her bottom lip.

Was it Mercury in retrograde this year?

Every conversation seemed to lead back to him.

She stayed there for a while, staring at her phone, hesitating to send the apology message she had typed for Ethan.

The last message still read, “7301.”

That night flooded back into her mind, and she knocked her head lightly. Then, she began typing.

Back in the VIP room, the crowd was in full swing. Lucas sat with a rising star from the entertainment industry, and as soon as he saw Ethan enter, he teased, “Took you long enough for a bathroom break?”

Ethan sat down and immediately declined the drink offered by the women around him.

For the first time, his gaze lingered on the women nearby, but his mind wandered back to her—Natalie.

She was beautiful, sharp-tongued, tough as nails, and in bed, she was like fresh fruit, too sweet to resist. Yet when she rejected him, she was as harsh as if nothing had ever happened.

And he was still hanging on.

Ethan lit a cigarette.

Jared, already drunk, nudged Lucas. “I went to find you earlier. The waiter said you were upstairs.”

Lucas looked at him curiously, knowing Ethan had gone to the second floor instead of the usual private restroom.

“You weren’t really trying to meet someone upstairs, were you?”

Ethan exhaled smoke, his mood clearly dampened. He stood to leave early.

“Leaving already?” Lucas asked, surprised.

Back in the bathroom, Natalie was battling with herself over the message she had typed.

She had written an apology, then deleted it. She tried to explain herself but deleted that too.

In the end, she settled on three simple words: Sorry.

But as soon as she hit send, she realized Ethan had blocked her. The message didn’t even go through.

Natalie stared at the red exclamation mark, feeling a sinking feeling in her stomach.

Ethan was indeed a challenge.